339 vs. 335

I just put cash down at my local music haunt on a figured 339 in Antique Sunburst! It sounds amazing and looks and plays great. However in the back of my head I wondered if I should have compared it to a 335. Has anybody ever done that and what did you find?

The 335 for me has that vintage feel of the original design concept, which goes hand in hand with it's size and weight
It makes it special to strap on each time it is played...things happen at a slower, more deliberate pace
Reverent....if you will
Smaller guitars are easier to grab and play
I am not tempted by the 339 as I have other smallish guitars which cover that territory and complement my 335

I have both: a natural 335 made in '06, and a red 339 made in '09. I consider these to be different animals, in particular when it comes to playability. Tone will be somewhat similar, and in most cases you can dial in the tone from either one to get close to what your ears want to hear. But the starting point of the tone generated from either is different, somewhat like a J200 acoustic compared to a J185. So back to playability. The body is obviously smaller on the 339, as are the upper bout horns, which give slightly less access than on current more rounded version of the 335. And the necks are very different, depending on the model you choose. I would recommend choosing one or the other based on playability considerations rather than tone, unless the one you're sampling sounds like a muffled dog, and this can occur with either model in side by side comparisons. So back to tone. When purchasing my 335, I was fortunate enough to sample four side by side. With the 339, I had three to compare. Amazing what a difference there was in tone from one guitar to the other in each group. If you are not able to do such a comparison in the area where you live, you'll need to see if the tone of the guitar you receive is satisfactory to your ears. If so, then assess the playability with a fine tooth comb.

I have both: a natural 335 made in '06,and a red 339 made in '09. I consider these to be different animals, in particular when it comes to playability. Tone will be somewhat similar, and in most cases you can dial in the tone from either one to get close to what your ears want to hear. But the starting point of the tone generated from either is different, somewhat like a J200 acoustic compared to a J185. So back to playability. The body is obviously smaller on the 339, as are the upper bout horns, which give slightly less access than on current more rounded version of the 335. And the necks are very different, depending on the model you choose. I would recommend choosing one or the other based on playability considerations rather than tone, unless the one you're sampling sounds like a muffled dog, and this can occur with either model in side by side comparisons. So back to tone. When purchasing my 335, I was fortunate enough to sample four side by side. With the 339, I had three to compare. Amazing what a difference there was in tone from one guitar to the other in each group. If you are not able to do such a comparison in the area where you live, you'll need to see if the tone of the guitar you receive is satisfactory to your ears. If so, then assess the playability with a fine tooth comb.

Sorry rocketman, don't know how to post pics (& too lazy to learn), but I can email them to you if you like. Nothing unusual to see on these guitars, just your basic 335 & 339. Only modification is different knobs on the 335.

With the switch on a pickup alone (bridge or neck), the sound is more specific. I prefer the 339 with these bridge or neck positions for overdrive, but the last thing I'm looking for is making the neck pickup as deep as the 335 in clean sound. It might be one of the few sounds that can make you prefer a 335... But I'm still working on it, may be I will find a way to get close to it.

Sorry rocketman, don't know how to post pics (& too lazy to learn), but I can email them to you if you like. Nothing unusual to see on these guitars, just your basic 335 & 339. Only modification is different knobs on the 335.

If you can email them you should be able to post them ..It's just copying the link and pasting it/

There are better ways, but this one you already must know// See the choose file when you reply good luck

Sorry rocketman, don't know how to post pics (& too lazy to learn), but I can email them to you if you like. Nothing unusual to see on these guitars, just your basic 335 & 339. Only modification is different knobs on the 335.

Thanks for the link on how to post pics. I don't have a Photobucket type account, but may explore this one of these evenings. I have ten Gibsons, two Epis, and two Martins. It would be fun to have quick access to photos of each, but right now it still sounds like a project!

I haven't compared the two together but I would guess if you were to do a comparison the 335 would be a little more warmer and maybe a little louder do to the larger semi-hollow body size, it would resonate differently. Also the 339 comes from the factory with 50's wiring and the 335 has modern. Most 335 players switch their 335's over to 50's wiring, I did. If the two were wired the same it would probably be close, but I think in the long run the 335 would be my choice. The 339 was made specificly for people who like the sound of the 335 but liked smaller bodied guitars. Even though the same type of materials are used they would be close but not identical. It's impossible for the two to sound idendical because of the build size.

The 335 for me has that vintage feel of the original design concept, which goes hand in hand with it's size and weight
It makes it special to strap on each time it is played...things happen at a slower, more deliberate pace
Reverent....if you will

Same here. I considered the 339 for a while but went with the 335 for the same reasons, plus it was available in Light Burst. I do like 339s, though I've never had the opportunity to play one. I've been impressed with the clips I've heard of them. I don't think you can go wrong either way.

Thanks for the link on how to post pics. I don't have a Photobucket type account, but may explore this one of these evenings. I have ten Gibsons, two Epis, and two Martins. It would be fun to have quick access to photos of each, but right now it still sounds like a project!

Thanks to everyone for the reply's. I brought the 339 Figured Antique Sunburst home last week and I absolutely love it! I can't believe how much it sounds like a 335. Being so much smaller I was worried but it sounds huge and plays flawlessly. I'm really starting to dig this tone and cant seem to put it down lol. The volume knob reacts different than my other Gibson's but I am used to it now. I had to get used to the overtones in the bottom end when loud and distorted but I just roll the volume back a hair and it's perfect. Now I'm getting those early Alex Lifeson and Larry Carlton tones I've always wanted. I'll post pics soon!